The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893

Sunday March 26th

Office DJ

Every week, our arts & entertainment desk asks a staffer to tell us what they're listening to.



Taylor Barnhill
Copy Board Administrative Director

Office DJ: Songs for 20 years of life

"I hope that, when you listen to this cacophony of genres, you remember to trust yourself both now and in the future. You’ve gotten through all the hardship life has thrown your way so far, and there’s no reason why you can’t keep getting through it."

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Emily Gajda, Copy Board Member

Office DJ: Songs for a new haircut

"As we start a new semester at the beginning of a new year, join me in listening to songs that give us permission to sing, dance, jump and embrace when we finally feel joyfully comfortable with who and where we are."

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Assistant Data Editor Anh Nguyen in 2007. Photo Courtesy of Anh Nguyen.

Office DJ: Songs for a karaoke session

"Classics like Cẩm Vân’s 'Hà Nội Mùa Này Vắng Những Cơn Mưa' and Lệ Quyên’s 'Để Nhớ Một Thời Ta Đã Yêu' always warrant a rendition when they come on shuffle, according to my parents. loved ballads from the late 90s and early 2000s that made them nostalgic for the Vietnam they grew up in."

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Samuel Long 
Assistant City & State Desk Editor

Office DJ: Songs to listen to on a 1992 Walkman

"It’s no surprise to my friends that I’m going to be talking about cassettes in this article. Ever since I found my mom’s dusty Walkman sitting in an old box in the attic, I’ve been obsessed with recording music from my phone to magnetic tape so I can wear a clunky box on my hip and listen to music with questionable quality."

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Office DJ: Songs I'm grateful for

"So thank you, Beirut, Mumford and Sons, and fun. Thank you, Daniel Caesar and Taylor Swift. Your music lets me hang out with people hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles away. It reminds me not to be a stranger with the people who have had such an impact on my life."

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Shelby Swanson
Assistant Sports Editor

Office DJ: Voted "Always Gets Aux"

"I have over 190 public playlists on my Spotify profile. Is this a sensible amount to have? In all honesty — no. And from a surface level, a lot of them appear to be the same, or fit similar situations and moods. But all of these playlists mean something different to me, and were created by me for me in a rare act of personal individuality."

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A young Preston Fore happily drives his toy Jeep through his yard.
Photo Courtesy of the Fore Family.

Office DJ: My I-40 soundtracks

"There is no comparable feeling of having the windows down, music blaring and venturing through multiple windy turns and even a few tunnels. It provides the most direct time for reflection, as you are forced to have two hands on the wheel, eyes straight ahead, thoughts with yourself and the car."

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